I Should've Kissed You
by Beauty4estGreen
Summary: What happens when Jack finds out that Kim kissed Milton? Will he understand? Will jealousy and/or chaos ensue? This is purely a Kick story, but with references to Milton/Julie, and the friendship between Milton and Kim. Partially inspired by the OD song 'I Should've Kissed You,' but not relevant to the story. I doubt you'll expect exactly what happens.
1. 1Cold, Distractions,& Butt Kicked by Kim

_**What's up guys! I know I usually do Percy Jackson stories, but I've become obsessed with Kickin' It and Jack and Kim. So, I decided to put my writing skills to the test and try a TV-based fanfiction. Enjoy!**_

_**Oh, and by the way, I do not own Kickin' It or any of the characters or settings. Just my idea.**_

It was a seriously cold day in Seaford. Jerry and Jack had been sparring for a half hour, trying to keep warm, but every time they took a break, the freezing air washed over them again, despite being in the dojo.

"Yo, it is _not _supposed to be this cold in California," Jerry said, drinking some water and shivering. He paused, looking confused. "It's not, right Jack?"

Jack shook his head a little. "Right. And Rudy is too cheap to get a heater in here."

They heard the door open, and Milton and Kim walk in. Jack turned.

"… Julie and I had a great time," Milton was saying. "The movie was so awesome, even if it's scientifically inaccurate. The writers obviously put some effort into the details this time around, though. Afterward we got some hot cocoa at Starbucks, and looked at stars and named the origins of the constellations. And..." Turning slightly pink, Milton whispered something into Kim's ear, who listened eagerly. As he pulled away, her eyes widened and practically squealed with delight, and she threw her arms around him for a second.

"Milton, I'm so proud of you!" Kim was grinning hugely.

He shrugged. "Thanks, Kim. It was the best of my life." Then he noticed her expression change from overjoyed to slightly offended and skeptical. "I mean…you know, I'm sorry…I, uh gotta go, see you later, Kim." Milton practically left smoke on the mats when he took off for the changing room.

"Mmhm." Kim still had one eyebrow raised. She set down her gym bag and took off her jacket. Jack walked over to her with a confused expression on his face.

She looked up and smiled a little. "Oh hey, Jack."

"Hey, Kim. What was all that about?"

"Milton was telling me about his date with Julie last night." Kim got a slightly dreamy look in her eye. "It was so romantic. Well, after they went and saw a remake of Frankenstein, at least. But the big news is he finally got up the nerve to kiss her." Her voice got higher as she finished, and she was smiling hugely again.

Jack raised his eyebrows. _Okay, not sure I needed to know that,_ he thought. "I meant the part when he freaked out and bolted like Scooby-Doo."

She suddenly looked like a deer caught in the headlights. "Oh, well…you know how Milton is, always, you know, freaking out…" She played with her hair a little, and then caught sight of Jerry. "Hey Jerry, let's spar." She pushed past Jack and grabbed the slightly bewildered Latino by the arm, dragging him onto the mats.

Suddenly Jerry seemed to realize what was happening. "Oh, uh, actually Kim, I was just sparring with Jack, like, a lot, so I rather you didn't –"

"_Hiya!"_ Kim gave him a solid kick to the chest and he fell like a domino. Jack rolled his eyes as Jerry got back up and into a fighting stance, looking pretty scared.

Jack moved a punching dummy onto the mats and kept practicing. He wondered why Kim had acted so weird. She so couldn't lie. What was she hiding? Did something happen between her and Milton?

_Why would you care?_ a little voice inside his head asked. He kicked the dummy harder.

He didn't care. It's just that Milton was with Julie, and they were his and Kim's friends.

_How well do you know your friends? Really?_

They were Jack's best friends. He knew them. And Kim just wasn't into Milton that way, and Milton wasn't into Kim. Why, though, he wasn't sure. Who wouldn't like Kim? He'd seen tons of guys fall head over heels for her.

_And you're clearly no exception, are you?_

Jack kept hitting the dummy. The voice (conscience, whatever) was really starting to piss him off.

"JACK!" Kim's voice broke into Jack's head like a gunshot. Panting, he turned to see her looking at him expectantly. "Sorry, what?"

"I was _asking_ if you wanted to spar. Jerry ran into Rudy's office screaming his 'Columbian war chant' at the top of his lungs."

"Oh yeah, sure." They went to the middle of the mats, bowed, and got into their fighting stances, daring each other to make the first move. Jack decided to take initiative and threw a punch.

Kim blocked him easily and tried to kick him. He dodged, and swiped his leg under her feet. She jumped. When he tried to punch her again, she caught his fist and flipped him. Smirking, she held out her hand and helped him up, and they resumed fighting.

They went on like that for most of the afternoon. Eventually Jerry and Rudy appeared out of Rudy's office, and Milton practices board-breaking with Eddie, who's arrived late due to a "date with Stacy Weisman" (AKA a long visit at Captain Corndog).

Finally, two hours and fifty-three matches later, Kim was looking down at Jack, who was, once again, lying on his back on the ground, after losing, once again, to Kim.

"Jack, you are really off your game today," the blonde said as she helped him up. "Please tell me you didn't stay up all night playing video games again."

Jack rubbed the back of his throbbing head. Kim really redefines the term 'hit like a girl.' "Nah, I learned that lesson the first time."

Kim rolled her eyes and picked up her water. "Alright. But you better not be such a wimp tomorrow. I'm so tired of the lack of challenges around here." She gestured generically around the room.

"Aww, does Kimmy miss her Black Dragon friends?" Jack teased her. He was rewarded by a hard punch in the gut. "Ow. Haven't you bruised me enough for one day?"

"Evidently not."

_**So, that's chapter one. Read and review! The more reviews I get, the more likely I am to update.**_

_**Constructive criticism is welcome and greatly appreciated.**_

_**Love y'all,**_

_**-Reyna Seas**_


	2. 2 Suspicion

**Disclaimer: I do not own **_**Kickin' It**_** or Taylor Swift**

_**I'm back!**_

_**Thank you all for the amazing support. You know you guys are why I love doing what I do. **_

_**Enjoy! **_

Kim was still trying to recover from the freezing cold day. It was nighttime now and the temperature was still worse. She'd turned the heater on, found her warmest pajamas, and covered herself with every blanket she owned before she finally felt warm. But she knew she still wouldn't be able to sleep before she made a phone call.

Dialing the number, Kim wondered if even considering what she was about to discuss was necessary. Actually, forget necessary, the very idea was probably insane. She pressed her cell phone to her ear and tried to disregard her indecision.

Julie picked up after a couple rings. "Oh, hey, Kim. What's up?"

"Hi, Julie. I heard about your date last night. I'm so happy for you guys!"

"Thanks! I'll admit, I was nervous at first, but I figured since Milton got passed his – " _cough_ "–mental block, I figured there wasn't much to be scared of."

Kim twirled her hair nervously, feeling guilty all over again. "Yeah, about that…the _incident_ is actually why I called. I need our help." She could practically feel Julie tense up.

"Why? I thought we'd agreed to just…let it go."

"We did. But that's just it: _we_ did. The thing is, I think that maybe Jack is kind of…" Kim snapped her fingers, looking for the right way to put it. "…on the trail. He's suspicious."

"Of course he is _now_, that the subject has apparently come up. No offense Kim, but you're a horrible liar."

"So I've been told."

Julie paused. "Would telling Jack the truth be so bad?"

Kim froze. "Um…yes!" Then she hesitated. "Well…I guess it shouldn't matter, right? We're just friends, so it shouldn't matter."

"That's right."

"Although he does have a tendency to overreact."

"Believe me Kim, we've all noticed. If I didn't know better, I'd say he liked you."

Kim said slowly, "What do you mean, 'if I didn't know better'?"

To her shock, Julie laughed. "Nothing, I was just testing you to see your reaction. Jack _definitely_ likes you; Milton has told me several times how obvious it is. Heck, I can tell and I don't see either of you guys that often."

Kim had no idea how to respond to that, so she just frowned at said, "This is not helping."

"The point is, since Jack has feelings for you –"

"– _if_ he does –"

"– he's quite likely to get jealous, and upset that he didn't know. So, if you two are just friends, and it doesn't matter, I say go ahead and tell him, because he won't particularly care. On the other hand, since you two seem to have a certain amount of…tension…between you, you should make an executive decision."

Kim sighed and fell back on her bed with a soft _thump_, running one hand through her hair. Then she realized what Julie was suggesting, and sat bolt upright again. "I do NOT have a crush on Jack!" She said, exasperated.

Julie replied, sounding somewhat taken aback, "I never said that, Kim."

"But you implied it."

"I…_may_ have insinuated that you and Jack have demonstrated behavioral patterns in the past that express some amount of romantic emotion between you two."

"Which is basically a fancy way of saying that we have acted like we like each other before."

"Pretty much."

"Ugh! I so don't want to talk about this anymore. I'll think about it again in the morning."

"Alright. Goodnight, Kim."

"Goodnight, Julie." Kim hung up and put the phone on her nightstand. Her conversation with Julie had only confused her, and made her more indecisive.

Although – despite being afraid to think it – Kim had to admit, Julie did have a bit of a point. When she'd first met Jack, she'd gotten a hunch that he might've had a thing for her. He _had_ stared at her for a little too long, and they'd seemed to flirt a little bit. Then they got to know each other and, their competitiveness kicked in, and they'd just sort of…stopped at being friends, she guessed.

At their first competition against each other, when Jack had suggested that she had a crush on him, she wasn't lying when she said no. Sure, he was attractive and funny and all, but she didn't lie. So…would she be now?

Kim told her brain to shut up and sleep. This was strange and uncharted territory – quite possibly never meant to be explored. The night always did funny things to her, so she'd consider telling Jack about her and Milton's – ew – _kiss_ tomorrow.

She turned on her iPod speakers and fell asleep to Taylor Swift.

_**So, that's Chapter Two. I'm sorry that it's not very long. I'd considered adding the next 'episode' in with this chapter, but I decided that the story would be better if I left this one as is.**_

_**So, as always, please read and review. The reviews are the BEST part of being an author. The more advice and feedback I get, the more inclined I'll be to update. ;)**_

_**Love y'all,**_

_**Reyna S.**_


	3. AN sorry guys

_**Hey guys, sorry for the Author's Note, I know how annoying they can be. **_

_**Anyways, I just wanted to address something that's been turning up in the comments a little. Some seem to be concerned that this story will be just like all the others on this website, and Jack will have an elaborate jealousy freak-out, then he and Kim will make up and get together in a really corny/romantic fashion. **_

_**I swear to you guys right now, I am NOT planning on writing something like that. There may be some corny stuff, but I intend to keep this story as fresh and original as possible, as well as keeping everyone true to their characters, as shown in the series.**_

_**I am not telling you guys any more than that, though. I believe in good literature, so you'll just have to keep reading the story as I update and see what happens! Just reassuring everyone that I know my craft.**_

_**Love y'all so much,**_

_**Reyna S.**_


	4. 3 Cold Air, Clear Head

**Disclaimer: I do not own 'Kickin' It'**

_**Hello my most devoted and incredibly awesome readers.**_

_**I'm sorry it took so long, I got a mild case of writer's block and had to push through it. But now I'm done with this chapter, so here it is! **_

_**Enjoy.**_

I woke up the next morning with a clear mind and the beginnings of a firm resolve. I _knew _sleeping on it was a good idea. After all, Kim Crawford is always right.

I got up, and got dressed in a purple tank top, a pink, green, white, and violet flowered skirt, a white cardigan, and white sneakers. I brushed my hair and clipped one side up behind my ear, then sprinted down the stairs to get my breakfast.

"Good morning, sunshine." My dad was already in the kitchen, making pancakes, and he kissed me swiftly on the head.

"Hey dad," I replied. I gathered last night's homework from the table, stuffed in my backpack, and sat down while Dad set down strawberry whipped cream pancakes in front of me, along with a tall glass of milk and scrambled bacon-eggs. _**(AN: this is something my mom makes for me sometimes. She makes the bacon, then crumbles it into the eggs while they're still in the pan.)**_ I smiled at him and began eating.

My dad chuckled. "What's made you so happy this morning, pumpkin?"

I shrugged. "I slept well." I finished my food and put them in the sink. "Bye dad."

"Oh honey, take your jacket. The weather's warmer than yesterday, but it's still chilly out." He tossed me my dark purple coat.

"Thanks." I put it on, slung my backpack over my shoulder, grabbed my skateboard and ran out the door.

Sure enough, the cold air hit me like a punch in karate class. I clipped on my helmet and rode to school.

Being on my board again felt so good. The freezing air whipped at my face and hair, blowing away any residual tension from yesterday. I shut my eyes for a few seconds, and then opened them to see Jack turning the corner in less than a block ahead. I pushed of harder to pick up speed. "Hey, Jack!"

He stopped momentarily to wait for me, and then kicked off again when I caught up with him. "Hey, Kim."

We rode in silence for a while. Then I glanced over at him and caught him staring. "What? Is there something on my face?" I wiped at my face, and he quickly looked away.

"No. You just look really happy for some reason."

I gave him a confused (and slightly challenging look). "Is my being happy…" I looked for the right word. "…abnormal?"

Jack seemed a little bit flustered. "No, no, of course not. You just seem to be in an especially good mood."

I shrugged. "Life is good. Good grades, great friends, Frank got detention yesterday…" I trailed off, grinning.

"Uh, oh, what did you do?" Jack asked playfully.

"Nothing, nothing. Just that I paid Milton and Jerry to break into his locker and fill it with fireworks."

He nodded thoughtfully. "That would explain the explosion I heard during science."

I laughed. We rolled up to the school just then. I kicked my board up and headed inside and to my locker. Jack headed to his own locker across the hall. Putting away my helmet, I turned around to look at him. I really hoped I was making the right choice.

Eight and a half hours later, I was at the dojo a little early, practicing on a dummy and still feeling elated, in a sense. I was waiting for the boys to show up, so I could finally do what I'd been meaning to.

Finally Jack and Milton showed up. I turned to them when I heard the door open, sweaty and panting, and told them, "About time! You guys are late." I walked over to them.

Smiling slightly, Jack slung his gym back from over his shoulder. "Sorry, Kim, but we got hung up at Falafel Phil's. He's _finally_ put the choco balls on the menu, and –"

"Really that's great, Jack; Milton I need to talk to you." I said in a rush, still breathing heavily.

Milton fingered the strap of his backpack nervously. "Kim, can it wait, because Rudy promised to work with me on some moves I've been having trouble with."

Hearing his name, Rudy looked over from where he was holding a board and trying to convince Eddie to try to break it. "Nah, that's okay Milton it can wait."

Milton gave him a warning/slash desperate look, but Rudy didn't see it. He was too busy trying to get Eddie to stop being a wimp and Jerry to stop laughing at him. I gave Milton a look. His shoulders drooped as he gave in. I grabbed his arm and pulled him back outside the dojo into the freezing weather, while Jack muttered something about 'Milton's demise,' obviously thinking himself funny.

The redheaded braniac in front of me sighed. "Alright Kim, what is it?"

I rolled my eyes a little. "Don't worry, I'm not going to destroy you or anything." I glanced around behind me to make sure no one was listening. "Look, do you remember when we…you know…" I waved my hand in a circle, waiting for him to get it.

All the tension left Milton's shoulders when he realized what I was getting at. "Oh, when you accidentally kissed me? Yeah, I remember. What about it?"

"Well, I think that Jack is kind off, well you know, _on to_ it, so I just want make sure that you wouldn't have a problem with me telling him or anything?" My voice steadily rose an octave as I felt my fingers start twirling my hair, and I prepared myself for his denial.

Instead, he just shrugged and said easily. "Sure, it's fine with me."

I released the breath I hadn't realized I was holding. "Okay, Milton, if you feel that strongly about it I guess I can just…" I trailed off, only just realizing what he said. "Wait what?"

He looked from side to side, as if a bit confused. "You heard me. I don't have a problem with Jack knowing. He our friend, and honestly not much of a gossip, so if he knows, no real harm is done, right?"

I stood frozen in shock.

"Kim?" Milton waved his hand in front of my face.

No response.

"Kiii-iim?" He snapped his fingers in my ear, and I snapped out of my trance.

"WHAT?" I yelled. Suddenly the courtyard got quiet. I looked around and realized just how loudly I'd shouted. "Nothing to see here folks!" I glared at them and they quickly went back to their normal business. "You have absolutely _no_ problem with Jack knowing?" I hissed. "You know how he gets! He'll probably freak out and get super…super…" For what felt like the millionth time that week, I snapped my fingers and looked for the word that was on the tip of my tongue.

"…super jealous?" Milton finished my sentence. I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out, so he went on. "Look, Kim, it seems as though _I'm_ not the one who's hesitant to tell Jack. So do what you want to do. Just do me one favor and think about this: _Why – precisely – don't you want him to find out?_" He patted my shoulder and walked to the nail salon, evidently seeing it as the perfect opportunity, to get out of karate practice for fifteen minutes.

As I walked back into the dojo, I saw Jack quickly walking away from the window. The window that Milton and I were previously not far from the other side of.

And despite the heater that Rudy had just bought, and all the collected body heat from practice trapped inside, I still felt the chill from the past couple of days lingering on my skin.

_**And voila! I have done it again, I so hope you guys enjoyed it.**_

_**Please review and give me feedback. The more of both I get, the faster I'll update! ;)**_

_**Love y'all,**_

_**Reyna S.**_


	5. 4 Lack of Fire After Lightning Strikes

Oh. So _that's_ what happened.

You'd think that I'd be more upset. I mean, I'd just overheard that my best friends had kissed, for crying out loud. But I just _wasn't_. I guess it was because Milton had seemed totally relaxed, like it wasn't any big deal, and said that it had happened by accident. Yeah, that was it. I was so freaking relieved that nothing real was going on between them. I did not want to see Julie upset and freaking out again; it really wasn't pretty. I try not to talk about those instances.

I didn't know why I'd even think that Kim and Milton would cheat. I mentally smacked myself.

I walked over to the changing rooms, feeling considerably better. Sadly, though, my newfound peace of mind just _had_ to be interrupted.

_I don't know why you're so calm._

Ugh. He was back. Or was the voice a she? It. Whatever. I shook my head and put on my gi.

_Kim freaked out when Milton said he didn't mind you knowing. Now, what's up with that?_

'Shut up, dude,' I thought back. 'It doesn't mean anything. Whoa, am I _seriously_ talking to myself right now?'

_Yes. Yes you are. And it__** means**__ that Crawford has got the hots for you._

Wow. I am definitely going to get this voice thing medically checked out later. Thankfully, _it_ decided to shut up just then.

I walked back into the main dojo, looking for someone to spar with. Rudy was finding still more creative ways to get Eddie to break a board. ("Okay, how about this: try thinking of attacking it like you would a hot, delicious slice of pizza. Now, concen – DUDE, DON'T BITE IT!") I laughed to myself and saw Jerry and Kim sparring. Strangely, Jerry seemed to be putting up a pretty good fight. I decided to stand back and watch a little bit.

Kim seemed unusually tired, or distracted, because Jerry kept coming ridiculously close to beating her. She tried tripping him and he jumped. She punched him and he dodged. She aimed a kick at his head and he back flipped.

Finally I decided to step in. "Uh, Kim, you might wan – "

Kim turned towards me abruptly and yelled, "What Jack? WHAT?"

The entire dojo went silent. Everyone was looking at us. I raised my hands as a sign of truce. "I was just going to suggest that you work less on offense and more on defense."

Kim put her hands on her hips. "Right, right, Jack, because you know absolutely _everything_ about karate and you're so freaking _perfect_ that you just _have_ to correct me." She wasn't shouting anymore, but she still looked mad. Her normally warm brown eyes had turned frozen. "Come on, Jerry, let's keep going." She got into her fighting stance again, but poor Jerry, despite holding her off so well for so long, was exhausted.

"Kim…please, I really need a break…"

Kim threw her hands up into the air. "Alright, fine, if you all are just going to act like a bunch of jelly-bone _cowards_, I'm out of here." Without bothering changing out of her workout gear, Kim grabbed her stuff and walked out the door, shouting, "I'll see y'all tomorrow!"

I stood rooted to the spot, completely confused. "What…what did I…what's wrong with her?"

Milton, who looked like he was interrupted in the middle of being pampered, grabbed my arm and pulled me towards the door. "Jack, I think I might be able to explain. Come with me."

"I so _don't_ understand girls," I said.

Milton shrugged. We were sitting at a table at Falafel Phil's, even though we'd already eaten there earlier. He'd just finished explaining the whole kissing fiasco I'd overheard him and Kim talking about. He still seemed oddly relaxed about the whole ordeal, like none of it bothered him at all.

"I mean, why is she so angry at _me_ for something I wasn't even involved in?"

"I don't think she is," Milton said wisely. "I believe that she's very confused, and lashing out at you was merely an outlet for her frustration."

This did not make me feel any better. "Confused about _what?"_

"All I know is that Kim was freaking out about thinking she had to tell you, since she really is a horrible liar." I rolled my eyes at this. "And she seemed fine, elated even, this morning, and I'm pretty sure that it was because she thought that I would object to your knowing."

"Which you didn't."

Milton nodded. "It's honestly not a huge deal. Jerry and Eddie, on the other hand…well, we all know that Jerry had a hard time of keeping his mouth shut, and Eddie couldn't lie to him if he wanted to. I'm not embarrassed about what happened, but I don't exactly want it going public, do I?"

Jack nodded. "I still don't understand why Kim would be confused about something like this. I mean, she's…_Kim_."

Milton looked at me incredulously. "You really don't get it, do you?"

I was exasperated. "No! I really don't!"

"Read my lips, Anderson," Milton said, pointing to himself. "Kim. Crawford. Likes. You."

_He's not wrong._

'Shut up.'

I sat there for a second, frozen. Then I snapped back to reality. "Whaaat? Me, Kim… Me and Kim? Pfft. That's…that's ridiculous…"I trailed off, looking at the nerd across from me slightly questioningly, pleadingly. He gave me a sympathetic look and nodded.

I propped up my head in one of my hands, leaning on the table, and felt a little nauseous. "Oh dang."

The next day at lunch Kim sat at another table, like she did after I rejected her invitation to the Cotillion. And, like then, I walked over to talk to her, but she quickly got up when she saw me coming.

After school, I'd run out of the building as early as I could, only to see her already skating away.

Rudy gave us all the day off, so I couldn't meet up with at the dojo. But my calls went straight to voicemail.

So you understand why I was getting frustrated. I _really_ needed to distract myself, so I made popcorn, grabbed the first action movie that I saw, stuck it in and settled on the couch.

But despite Iron Man 2 being one of my favorite movies, even Tony Stark's snark couldn't keep my mind from wandering. To no one else but Kim Crawford. Ugh, I sound like such a girl.

Still. My thoughts turned to the Cotillion/Brody disaster. When she invited my (and caused a decent bruise on my back from falling, thank you very much), I never dreamed I would've wanted to go to some ball. I was in shock by her asking me, _me,_ that my immediate impulse was to turn her down. I ended up listing all of the reasons I wouldn't go. I remembered the hurt look on her face, and realized that there was no way I could've let her down harder.

Then I saw her with the new kid. And for the first time, I got…I don't know, jealous, I guess. I knew Kim had said yes to him because she was desperate for a date, and probably to spite me a bit. But she looked at him with the big brown eyes that I so rarely saw come out, and only for the guys she was crazy for. He said all the opposite things that I did, and I could tell she liked him for it. He made me look like a total jerk in front of her, even if I _was _acting like one. I'd wanted to get to the dojo where I could get some peace in my own element, only to find THEM again there. Dancing. I didn't know it was possible to teach Kim to dance. I admit it, I was showing off, showing Brody up, challenging him.

Of course the guy just had to give me a real reason to mistrust him. I hated when people tried to hurt my friends, especially Kim. The second I heard the words Brody and Black Dragons in the same sentence, I got to the Cotillion as fast as I could. I was grateful that he turned on our side in the end, even though he really did hurt her.

Honestly, the worst part was almost, _almost_ having a moment with Kim. As we danced, I saw those big brown eyes come out again. We were at a fancy ball wearing fancy clothes, everything that should've annoyed me, and yet the moment was perfect.

Now I really sound like a girl.

I didn't realize exactly how far into the movie I had gotten until the doorbell rang. I pushed _pause_, and got up to answer the door, still holding the popcorn.

I opened the door and almost dropped the food. Standing, flustered and shivering, was Kim.

_**Sorry for the late update, guys. I have finals next week, and my best friend broke up with her boyfriend two weeks ago. I'm also in the middle of moving. My work is just NEVER done!**_

_**Anyways, read, enjoy, and review!**_

_**Love y'all,**_

_**Reyna S.**_


	6. AN 2

_**Hey guys.**_

_**So most of you have obviously figured out that there will only be one more chapter in this story. I'm not sure if I'll add an Epilogue, but I'm certainly considering it.**_

_**Anyways, the purpose of this Author's Note is to inform you that after this story draws to a close, I'll be writing another Jack/Kim fanfiction entitled 'Of Squares and Jerry Dares.' It'll be rated T for being more…suggestive than this one. Don't worry, though, I'm not **_**that**_** sick.**_

_**After or during 'Of Squares and Jerry Dares,' be on the lookout for the possibility of a one-shot called 'Fluffy Little Man.'**_

_**I need to write Chapter 3 of 'Torn to Pieces,' so Chapter 5: Heat Wave won't be up until that's finished. I've put it off for far too long.**_

_**Also, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE keep reviewing! I live off of them. ;)**_

_**Love y'all,**_

_**Reyna S.**_


	7. 5 Heat Wave

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kickin' It, Lord of the Rings, or Iron Man, let alone Iron Man 2**

_**I know, I know, long wait for the update again. Sorry guys, but I promise that this shouldn't be a disappointment. And if it is, well, shame on me.**_

Alright, I confess: I avoided Jack all throughout the next day. Milton's question had gotten me thinking a lot about my relationship with Jack, and it was driving me crazy. So every time I saw him I turned tail. I left school as early as possible so I wouldn't have to see him. I ignored his texts and phone calls.

The weather had gotten even colder than it had been before overnight. I actually had to carry a thermos of hot chocolate to school this morning to keep from freezing. By the time I'd gotten home again, the temperature had seeped completely through my jacket and into my skin, and I really needed a hot shower.

I walked upstairs and into the bathroom, and got in the shower. The steaming water was heaven on my body, the heat slowly working its way through my limbs and making the stiffness slowly subside. As soon as every trace of the cold was gone, I shut off the water, got out, and dressed in my Bobby Wasabi t-shirt over a dark green long-sleeved top, jeans, and my favorite bunny slippers.

My plan was to go downstairs and have a Lord of the Rings movie marathon, it being Friday and all. But as soon as I got downstairs, I was confronted with a sight that could be intimidating or funny, depending on who you are and what your mood is. I, for one, wanted to laugh but was too tired to do so.

Jerry and Eddie stood directly in front of the closed front door. They were shoulder-to-shoulder, glaring at me with their arms crossed.

"Hey guys," I said slowly. "How'd you get in?

"We know where you keep the key, Kim," Eddie said.

"Alright, then. Why are you here?"

"I don't know," Jerry informed me, maintaining his irritated expression. "Eddie and Milton just told me to come here and look mad."

I looked at Eddie expectantly. After a bit of a staring contest, he finally threw his hands up in exasperation and said, "We're here, Kimberly, because you're making Jack _insane_ ignoring him like this!" He ducked as I tried to punch him for calling me Kimberly, and continued, "Whatever Jack did to make you so mad, he's trying to find out what and fix it, don't you see?"

I crossed my arms. "Oh, he _knows_ why I'm avoiding him, the eavesdropper. He should just drop it." I turned and walked toward the kitchen.

The guys followed me, and Eddie kept persisting. "Oh, you know that's not why. You may be temperamental," – duck – "but you really aren't one to hold a grudge."

"He's right." Jerry put in. I got some cherry pie from the fridge, set it on a plate, and stuck it in the microwave before turning to face the Latino boy. "We know you, Kim. You've forgiven us every time we do something stupid. Even with your enemies, you just beat the crud out of them then walk away. Well, assuming Jack doesn't hold you back when you try," he added as an afterthought.

I rolled my eyes slightly as the microwave beeped. I got out the pie and attacked it with a fork. "What's your point? What do you want from me?"

"We _want_ you to go over to Jack's house, right now, and tell him what's going on; so that we can all go back to our normal lives." Eddie looked resolute.

I told him through a mouthful of pie, "Make me."

"Alright, I will." He made towards me, the quickly stopped. "Jerry, you make her."

Jerry shook his head vigorously at the other guy, then looked at me. "Kim, _please_ just go."

I sighed exasperatedly. "Fiiiine, I'll go. _After_ I finish my pie." I turned back to the delicious dessert and kept shoveling it into my mouth. But as soon as the last bite was eaten and I looked up, Jerry was pulling my arms through my jacket and Eddie was pushing me through the door. Next thing I knew I was on my front porch and my entire being was once again engulfed in freezing air. Well, except my feet. It turns out that my slippers are really good at trapping heat.

Rolling my eyes and turning to leave, I heard muffled voices from the other side of the door. _"Do you think there's any of that pie left? I'm starving."_

"_I don't know. I'm gonna go see what movies she's got."_ Pause. _"SWAG, did you know she's into Pirates of the Caribbean?"_

"Eddie, don't you DARE touch my pie!" I shouted. Silence. Satisfied, I started down the street to Jack's house.

Sadly, the Andersons lived several blocks away from me, giving my body the chance to absorb the cold again. Twenty minutes later found me on my best friend's front porch, shivering violently. I carefully pressed one finger onto the doorbell. A minute later Jack appeared, holding a large bowl of popcorn. His eyes widened when he saw me standing in front of him.

I took a deep breath. "Jack, I–"

"Get in here." Jack swiftly wrapped his free arm around my shoulders and pulled me inside. "You look like death."

"Gee, thanks," I muttered. He rolled his eyes and guided me to the couch, sitting me down. He left for a few minutes, and then returned with a large mug of cocoa and a thick, fuzzy blanket. He handed me the drink and wrapped the blanket around me, and took a seat in a chair across from me.

"You remembered." I looked down at the hot chocolate and smiled. He knew it was the one thing guaranteed to make me feel better no matter what. I felt a smile playing across my lips. Genuinely this time, I said, "Thank you."

Jack smiled back at me. "You're welcome."

I stared at him a little sadly. "Jack, I'm sorry for avoiding you. The guys told me it was making you crazy."

"Yeah, what's been going on with you?" His eyebrows furrowed in that cute way of his when he's confused. "You're like, really happy one minute, pissed off the next, and before you know it, you're in front of my house looking like a Kimsicle."

I stared at the floor. "I take it that you overheard my conversation with Milton the other day."

"Kim, I'm s–"

"No, let me talk. You don't have to apologize." Words began to spill out of my mouth. "I saw that you were getting suspicious, because when I was talking about Julie and Milton's date and you asked why he freaked out, I knew I wouldn't be able to lie to you convincingly. So it was either embarrass myself in front of you with the truth, or let you assume possibly the worst. I talked to Julie that night…" I swallowed some hot chocolate nervously. "And…that conversation presented a new problem. She said that you might get…um…well…jealous." I felt flames dancing on my cheeks.

I glanced up. Jack only looked more confused. "Why would I be jealous?"

Shrugging, I told him about how Julie had noticed how overprotective he gets of me whenever I have 'romantic relations,' as she would put it.

Silence followed, during which I kept drinking and avoided Jack's eyes. Eventually I couldn't take it. "Please, say something."

"It's just…" Jack started. "About what Milton asked you. Why didn't you want me to know _really_?"

I looked at him incredulously. "You really don't get it, do you?"

"Okay, both he and you have said that to me now. What am I not getting?"

"Forget it." I muttered. "My turn. Why aren't you even a little bit disturbed? I mean, I kind of want to _puke_ every time I think about it, and the fact that it happened at all between two of your best friends doesn't strike you as even the tiniest bit weird?"

Jack's cheeks steadily turned an interesting shade of pink. "I don't know."

"Aw, come on Jack –"

"No, Kim, I really don't know why." Jack ran his fingers through his hair, looking frustrated. "All I do know is what finding out made me _think_ about."

I relaxed into the back of the couch, tired. "What is that?"

He breathed in deeply. "I did the mental math, and the kiss was only a little while after the Cotillion Ball."

Well, that caught me off guard.

He continued, "For a minute there, when we were dancing, I'd thought that we were kind of having a moment. But then the music changed, and it was gone." He stared at his feet, and his voice grew quiet. "And lately, especially thinking about that, I feel like, maybe… I should've been the one you kissed.

Yep, that boy was _definitely_ blushing now.

I said softly, "I thought you didn't care." After a moment of silence, I felt myself smirk slightly. "Sooo…"

Jack looked up at me darkly. "So what?"

"So at that first tournament, when I was still with the Black Dragons, it was _you_ who had a crush on _me,_ huh?"

He stood up and crossed his arms. "Whaaat? Pfft. _No."_

"Mmhm." I stood too and faced him, mimicking his stance. "Prove it."

"You want me to prove it?"

"Yes."

"You _really_ want me to prove it."

"That's right, Jack."

"Alright Kim, I pr–"

As you probably guessed, he never finished his sentence. That's because at that point I knew he was never going to man up and make a freaking move. So I unfolded my arms and kissed him.

I kept it soft and sweet. I felt Jack uncross his arms too and gently place his hands on my waist. I put mine on the back of his neck.

After a few seconds I broke off and pulled back slightly, staring into his beautiful hazel-brown eyes. It wasn't long before he smiled and said, "I knew you'd always had a crush on me."

I laughed and hugged him. I felt a ray of sunlight shine through the window and land on us, heating our bodies. For the first time in days, it was warm again.

"Nonsense. You know I suck at lying, Jack."

_**So maybe it was a little cliché, but I think that it was sweet. I hope you guys liked the ending; I did my best to make it good and realistic to the characters, but romantic at the same time.**_

_**Please be on the lookout for my new stories! I promise they will come. I have two more planned centered around Jack and Kim, if you're a Kick supporter. **_

_**Since this is the last chapter, please please please review! Everyone loves reviews, myself included. I really hope that this was a satisfying spin-off of the kiss between Milton and Kim. **_

_**Love y'all,**_

_**Reyna S.**_


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